Method of separating hydrocarbon from aluminum chloride



E. V. OWEN.

METHOD 0F SEPARATING HYDROCARBON FROM ALUMINUM C'HLORIDE. APPLICATIONFILED IAN. 2|, |922.

Patented' Sear. ae, reza.

UNET'.

ERNEST V. OWEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

AssIGNoR To THE Hoovnn COMPANY, or"

CHIGGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

METHOD F SEPARATINQ HYDROCARBON FROM ALUMINUM CHLORIDE.

Application led January 21, 1922.. Serial No. 530,991.

To all who/m, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST V. WEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Iliinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of SeparatingHydrocarbon from Aluminum Chloride, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a method of separating hydrocarbon fromaluminum chloride, and particularly for treating aluminum chloridehydrocarbon in which the hydrocarbon has become heavy and dense, andeffecting the separation in a manner that will permit the aluminumchloridey to be recovered in such a form that it can be used as acatalyst to treat hydrocarbon oils.

The invention proceeds upon the principle' of delivering the aluminumchloride hydrocarbon, preferably in subdivided form, into la bath ofmolten material which is maintained at a temperature in excess of thevolatilizing temperature of one or some of the ingredients to berecovered, and which differs suiiiciently in specifici gravity from theother of said ingredients to permit separation of the latter from thebath by gravity.

The invention further contemplates a preferred method of'iabsorbingthevolatiles from the separating chamber and convertingr them into avaluable product, for instance, fresh aluminum chloride hydrocarbon;also the method of maintaining the bath at proper temperature bycirculating it through a lieater, and, incidentally, purifying it byfiltration in the course of its circulation.

To assist in a full understanding of the invention, an apparatus whichis preferably used in practicing the same is shown schematically on theaccompanying drawing. In said drawing- 1 represents a separating chamberwhich is preferably provided with a steam acket- 2 to keep it at atemperature that will avoid 45 condensation 'of volatiles releasedtherein.

Delivering into. the upper part of the separating chamber is a spraypipe 3 which leads from any suitable source of aluminum chloridehydrocarbon adapted to supply the 50 material to be separated at atemperature of. sayQOOO- F. Within the chamberl is a bath 4 of moltenmaterial having the inherent quality of vaporizing at a temperaturelargely in excess of the vaporizing point 55 of the ingredient oringredients to be volatilized, as well as the quality of beingchemically inert with respect to any of the ingredients thereof,and'preferably also of a materially different specific gravity from theingredient or ingredients of the aluminum chloride hydrocarbon which donot vaporize. Preferably petroleum waX distillate having an initialboiling point approximating 650O F., and permitting the heavyhydrocarbon to settle beneath it, willk be used for this bath, but itmay be a bath of metal or of salts which would permit the hydrocarbon toremain above it.

lIn order to keep the bath 4 up to a proper temperature, it may beconstantly or periodi-` cally withdrawn through pipe 5 by .a pump 6 andforcedthrough a filter 7, where anyv remanent free hydrocarbon will beseparated, and on to the heating coil 8 of a furnace 9 whence thematerial of the bath, at restored ltemperature, returns through pipe 10to the separating chamber 1. In the lower portion of separating chamber1 a heating coil 11 may be arranged for the pur ose of maintaining theprecipitate from t e aluminum chloride hydrocarbon in a sufficiently'liquid state to permit of rits withdrawal periodically through pipe 12.At top, thel separating chamber 1 has an outlet 13 for the ingredientsof the aluminum chloride hydrocarbon which are volatile under thetemperature of the bath 4, and this pipe leads to an absorption tower 14of any approved form, but preferablv equipped with disks 15" and 16extending alternately from the center and from the side walls andoverlapping in a manner to develop a baiiied path through which thevolatiles How upwardly and in thecourse of which they meet a shower ofoil that issues from a group of discharge nozzles 17 above the series ofbaffles and which flows downward over the edges of the baffles in amanner to enter into intimate -absorbing relation to the volatiles.

Supply of oil in the/tower 14 is main- 100 tained through a pipe 18, butthe spray 17 is preferably developed from the body of oil 19 in thelower portion of the tower which is constantly being elevated by theArchimedean lift 2O revolved by band pulley 21. 10'5 Incidentally therevolving body 20 .carries the centrally disposed disks 15 and throwsthe oil therefrom by centrifugal force against the side walls of thetower 14. Fixed an-d unabsorbed gases in tower 14 may es- 110 capethrough the pipe 25. The product o1 the tower 14 will be fresh aluminumchloride hydrocarbon with the oil constituent suiiiciently thin or lightto adaptthe product to serve as a catalyst. 'This product may be drawnoff through the bott-om pipe 22 as it accumulates-in the lower space 23of the tower, by reason of its specific gravity in excess of that of thebody of oil 19. By means of the lift 20, oil 19 may be repeatedlyelevated and discharged for contact with the volatiles in the toweruntil it becomes sufficiently rich in aluminum4 chloride, when it willautomatically settle into the space 23. As fresh aluminum chloridehydrocarbon is drawn off through pipe 22, the supply of oil 19 will bereplenished through pipe 18. Heavy hydrocarbon freed from the aluminumchloride and other volatile ingredients by the action of the separatingchamber 1, and which will be drawnoif through pipe 12,-will be incondition to serve commercial purposes, and to it may be added anyfiltered out/hydrocarbon that accumulates in the lower end of the filter7, whence it is Withdrawn through pipe 24.

It is possible to operate a number of recovery chambers in series, theheavy hydrocarbon from one chamber, from which the aluminum chloride hasbeen partially removed, being charged into another chamber to recoverthe residual aluminum chloride.`

I claim: 1. The process of separating heavy hydrocarbon from` aluminumchloride, which consists in delivering aluminum chloride hydrocarbon toa bath of liquid materialwhich is maintained at a temperatureA that isbelow the vaporizing point of the hydrocarbon and above the vaporizingpoint of aluminum chloride, thereby volatilizing the aluminum chloride,and then removing the latter in the form ofvapor. i'

2. The process of separating heavy hydroearbon'froni aluminum chloride,which con. sists in introducing'aluminum chloride hydrocarbon to a bathof liquid material hav' lng'a specific` gravity that is materiallydifferent from that of the hydrocarbon, the liquid material beingmaintained at a temperature below the vaporizing point of thehydrocarbon and above the vaporizing point of the aluminum chloride,thereby volatilizing theJ aluminum chloride and stratifying thehydrocarbon and the material of the bath, and then removing thelaluminum chloride in the form of vapor and flowing the hydrocarbon fromits stratum.

3. The process of separating heavy hydrocarbon from aluminum chloridehydrocarbon, which consists-in heating the aluminum chloride hydrocarbonand presenting it while hot to a bath of liquid material having aspecific gravity that is sufficiently different from that of thehydrocarbon to be separated to permit said hydrocarbon and the materialof the bath to stratify with relation to each other, and which ismaintained at a temperature that is below the vaporizing point of thehydrocarbon and above the vaporizing point of the aluminum chloride, andAthen drawing off the aluminum chloride in the form of vapor and flowingthe hydrocarbon from its stratum in the bath. Y

4. The process of separating heavy hydrocarbon from aluminum chloridehydrocarbon, which consists in presenting the aluminum chloridehydrocarbon to a bath consisting of a vhigh boiling point hydrocarbonwhich is maintained at a temperature that is below the vaporizing pointof the hydrocarbon to be separated and above the vaporizing point of thealuminum chloride, and

then withdrawing the latter in the form of vapor and the hydrocarboninthe form of liquid.

5. The process of separating aluminum chloride from a heavy hydrocarbonwith which it is combined, which consists in contacting the aluminumchloride hydrocarbon in a iinely divided state with a bath consisting ofa high boiling point hydrocarbon,

which is of a materially different character from the heavy hydrocarbonfrom which the aluminum chloride is to be separated; the said bath beingmaintained at a temperature that is below the vaporizing point of saidheavy hydrocarbonl andabove the vaporizing point of the aluminumchloride; and the aluminum chloride being withdrawn in the form of vaporand said heavy hydrocarbon in the form of a liquid.

Signed at Chicagoglllinois, this 19th day of January, 1922.

ERNEST V. OWEN.

